Experience the Shift was very well received and educators who attended have begun sharing through social media the impact of what they experienced as they begin testing ideas in their contexts. I have to say, it’s lovely to have this work made visible. It’s something I hadn’t anticipated even though I know my PLN is networked and shares learning. Thank you to everyone who is taking time to post.

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A few weeks ago I had to pleasure of chatting with Jenn Chan host of This is Iterative, a podcast series exploring everything about design thinking and education. We chatted about the differences between Integrative and Design Thinking as well as about the impact both have had on my students.

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Jennifer Warren has gathered feedback from the grade 12s about our Integrative Thinking Challenge with the grade 6s. I haven’t even had time to write about what happened on the 2nd day, but a few things must be said.

1. Jen and I realized the power that lies in cross-division. We are under-utilizing students for teaching and learning. The 12s and 6s taught each other in ways that teachers will never Continue Reading

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One of my proudest achievements of recent years is breaking down the silos between secondary and elementary in the Dundas community. It began by chance. I happened to be teaching a student whose mother, Jennifer Warren, taught at Highland. Jen’s daughter would regularly share how learning happens in our classroom which led to conversations between Jen and myself and a discovery that we both have a passion for good teaching. When I formed the Inquiry Working Group as a way for teachers to support each other as we tested ideas, Continue Reading

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Each day before students start in collaborative groups for the Integrative Thinking Challenge, I take some time to debrief the previous’ days experiences, review the Pro-Pro Model process and share examples of Integrative Thinking solutions.

One of the solutions we viewed is the Coca Cola Freestyle machine. Continue Reading

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About Heidi Siwak

Heidi is a middle school teacher from Ontario, Canada whose innovative work is creating new models of learning. She has been recognized by the Globe and Mail as one of Canada's innovative teachers. Her students undertake original projects that challenge the boundaries of learning and have won national awards. She has been featured on TVO's Learning 2030 series and as a guest blogger. Her blog is carried by CBC's digital media service in Hamilton. Heidi is currently exploring Integrative and Design Thinking and Knowledge Building with her students and has recently begun her MEd in Education Leadership and Policy. Heidi has created Experience the Shift - a series of workshops designed to help participants experience and develop insight about new models of learning. Follow #shiftxp2015 to see its impact.